Hailing from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry is a global call-to-action for manufacturing sites to reduce energy intensity, or the amount of energy used to make a product, by 10 percent within five years. Diesel reduced its energy intensity by more than 25 percent within two years, joining seven fellow Corning facilities that met or exceeded the goal, three of which have also held showcases.

The showcase, hosted by the plant manager, included a poster session facilitated by the site’s energy team under Global Energy Management (GEM), formal speaking program, and tour of the facility.

Showcased Projects:

Using a special kind of peat moss to treat the water in the facility’s cooling towers.

Installation of more energy-efficient air compressors, a project made possible by a NYSEG block grant.

Replacement of fluorescent lighting with LEDs.

"The products we produce here are the essential components in emission-control systems on diesel trucks, construction, and agricultural vehicles," Hal Nelson, vice president and general manager, Environmental Technologies, said during his remarks. "And of course, we've focused on making these products in a much more energy-efficient way."

CET has implemented more than 50 GEM projects since 2013, reducing electric and gas use considerably.

"Manufacturing always focuses on making product using the fewest resources possible, and investing in energy reduction is entirely consistent with that," Nelson said. "Based on our successes in the Diesel plant over the past few years, we'll continue this work to improve energy efficiency."